Marc Lore Of The Timberwolves Became The Latest NBA Owner To Flip His Majority Ownership Stake For A Massive Profit Just 14 Months After Buying The Team

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I think it's safe to say that the 2026 NBA offseason has been one of the more insane summers we've had in recent memory. On the player side, we've had the Giannis trade, the Jaylen Brown trade, the Kawhi trade, LeBron is a Sixer, the list goes on and on. If you're someone who enjoys chaos, this summer has given it to you in spades.

That's only half of the story, though. To go along with all of these league-altering trades/free agency signings, we're also seeing NBA franchises suddenly get flipped like we're all watching an episode of Flip or Flop on HGTV. Things started with Mark Walter and the Lakers after he flipped the team for $12.5B after paying $10B for it just 14 months earlier in June 2025. Granted, he's in a bit of a financial pickle at the moment

so perhaps that helps explain why he pulled the trigger so quickly after finally taking over such an iconic franchise.

The thing is, he's not the only one who has now done something like this. Enter Marc Lore and the Minnesota Timberwolves

Stad, the founder and managing partner of Dragoneer Investment Group, had been a significant minority investor in the Timberwolves and Lynx under the ownership group of Lore and Alex Rodriguez. 

Sources said the transfer of ownership between the Stad family and Lore developed after months of conversations and allowed Stad, Rodriguez and Lore to continue working together and maintain the Timberwolves and Lynx current leadership structures. Stad’s wife, Elisa Stad, will serve as the Timberwolves governor. 

Rodriguez will continue to serve as a co-owner of both the Timberwolves and Lynx.

Lore will retain a minority investment  in the teams, while Rodriguez has decided to increase his equity percentages, sources said. Lore elected to take a step back from his co-owner and co-chairman roles in order to focus on the IPO push for his food-tech company, the Wonder Group, over the next calendar year, believing changing ownership seats with Stad gave the Timberwolves the best opportunity for continued success.

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As a reminder, Marc Lore and ARod took over the Wolves after a long battle with Glen Taylor in June 2025 for a total of $1.5B. I'm not a huge math guy, but now selling your stake at a $4.5B valuation seems like a pretty decent return on your investment, but this is another situation where a team is essentially "flipped" after just a little over a year of ownership. That feels…..weird. I guess with how expensive these teams are becoming and the prices these guys can get starts reaching the multiple billions, maybe we shouldn't be surprised that businessmen/entrepenuers are flipping their asset. 

In some ways, it sort of feels like we're experiencing some sort of bubble being formed, where these guys are cashing out before shit really hits the fan. Given the massive TV deal the NBA just secured and the fact that the salary cap keeps going up, I'm not sure what that might look like, but I can't ever remember a time when NBA teams were being flipped like this. Maybe it's nothing and these are each unique cases, maybe it's a sign of things to come, who knows. All I know is that since 2023 we've now seen the Hornets, Celtics, Mavs, Blazers, Lakers (2x), and Wolves (2x) all be sold. I guess when you have the opportunity to secure such a crazy return maybe that's too good to pass up, but you have to admit it's a little weird.

And not to go complete tin foil hat here, but is it also possible that Marc Lore was perhaps planning ahead should the Wolves have another underachieving year where they don't even make the Finals and then someone like Anthony Edwards starts to get a little restless? What if the LaMelo Trade fails and Ant eventually becomes the next star to ask out? That may sound crazy, but this is the NBA we're talking about here. Nothing is too crazy to imagine these days, just look at what has happened these last few seasons. If that were to happen, would the Wolves still have a $4.5B valuation? Could this just be a case of a guy getting out while the getting is good before the eventual crash, should the team not perform? 

I imagine there might also be some questions from Wolves fans about potential relocation, since part of that initial sale was Glen Taylor making sure whoever bought the team wouldn't move it. Thankfully for Wolves fans, it sounds like they're safe from that reality for the time being

so at least there's that. Will this Marc Stad fella be committed to winning and spending what it takes to compete in today's NBA? That's the next question that we'll learn over time. Then again, given the way things are trending in the NBA these days, we could end up seeing the Wolves get flipped again should their valuation continue to rise.